All Things Sensory by Harkla

Joel Warsh - aka DrJoel Gator - is a Board-Certified Pediatrician in Los Angeles, California who specializes in Parenting, Wellness and Integrative Medicine. He grew up in Toronto, Canada and completed degrees in Kinesiology, Psychology and Epidemiology, and Community Health before earning his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. He completed his Pediatric Medicine training at Chi...

We talk a LOT about how to help YOU - the adult - identify your child’s (or your client’s) sensory needs / preferences. But what about teaching kids how to become independent with identifying and meeting their sensory needs? That’s what today’s episode is all about! Diving into WHY it’s important to teach our kids about their emotions, their sensory needs, and how it’s all connected. Plus we give...

Diving into what ADHD is - from a diagnostic perspective and our clinical experience. Then jumping into some strategies, including neurofeedback, changing the environment, working on executive functioning, and MORE! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast is brought to you by Harkla. Our mission at Harkla is to help those with spe...

We have an episode on sensory diets - episode 39 from 2019 … it’s time for an update! Sensory diets are the series of sensory activities and strategies that you use to help meet your sensory needs and feel regulated throughout the day! This episode dives into the research as well as how to create a sensory diet for your child! Be sure to check out the links below! Be sure to check out the show not...

We received a question on Instagram about what sensory strategies we would recommend to help a child who has lower cognitive abilities or who is non-speaking or pre-verbal. We’ve had many, many clients who had learning disabilities, used AAC devices because they didn’t communicate verbally, or who struggled overall with communication - expressive and receptive. In this episode, we’re going to draw...

We received a question about how to best explain to others that your child has sensory needs and differences to those who just don’t understand it. Or to those who think your child is misbehaved. So, we’re diving into this topic - how to explain and advocate for your child’s sensory differences! We talk about some verbiage to use, we provide you with a free download (link below!), and just an over...

We are your podcast DJs! We had a question from someone on Instagram asking about strategies for a child who becomes aggressive towards themselves and others when they are in a meltdown. We dive into the WHY behind aggressive behaviors and chat about some strategies you can try. We’d love your feedback! Share this episode on Instagram, tag us @allthingsensorypodcast, and let us know your thoughts!...

As COTAs, one of the things we’ve worked on with a lot of our clients is emotional intelligence - the ability to identify one’s emotions (and emotions in others). This is oftentimes VERY difficult for children! But emotional intelligence is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to self-regulation and social interactions. Today we talk all about the WHY and the HOW, plus we give you our favorit...

Does your child seek out a certain type of sensory input that drives you nuts? Are your sensory preferences the complete opposite of your child’s? If so, this episode is for you! We dive into sensory preferences, what it looks like when your child’s sensory needs create a sense of overstimulation in you, and some tips, tricks, and strategies to help! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog...

Shop our Back to School Sale by clicking THIS link! Save 15% on ALL Harkla products, physical and digital! Sale ends Aug. 29, 2022! At school, a child is exposed to a lot of sensory information as well as they are required to sit and focus for long periods of time and interact socially with their peers. It’s a LOT of work! Many children hold it all together at school but then break down at home -...

We don’t typically recommend products but since a lot of you have asked for recommendations, here we go! We dive into products for each of the 8 sensory systems! Some you can purchase and some you can DIY! Check all the links below! Be sure to check the show notes for links and free resources! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis podca...

Back in 2018, we did an episode on interoception, one of our hidden senses. Now, 4 years later, we’ve learned a LOT more about this hidden sense and we are sharing it with you in this episode! We dive into what interoceptive dysfunction can look like and our favorite strategies to help. Be sure to check the show notes for links and free resources! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at...

Sensory activities don’t have to be expensive! They don’t have to be Pinterest perfect either. Today we’re going to share 10 easy DIY sensory-based activities you can do from the comfort of your own home, at school or in the clinic! Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube!!!!Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast is brought...

Back in 2018 we did an episode on the proprioceptive system and now it’s time for a re-do! This episode is all about proprioception - what it is, what it affects during daily life tasks, and a variety of activities and strategies to target the proprioceptive sense! Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube!!!!Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You...

Back in 2018, we put out an episode on the vestibular system - it’s been 4 years and it’s time for a re-do! In this episode, we dive into all things vestibular. What the vestibular system is, how it works, what dysfunction looks like, and a variety of activities for all ages! Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube!!!!Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brou...

We’ve done episodes on fine motor skills but this is our first time diving into gross motor skills! There’s a LOT that goes into gross motor skill development, and we’re going to give you all the details plus our favorite gross motor activities! Stay tuned to the end where we answer two listener questions: talking about speech therapy and working on new goals in therapy! Don’t forget - our podcast...

Does your child enjoy going to the dentist? Or is it a struggle every time? Or maybe your child hasn’t been to the dentist yet, but you’re nervous because they already show signs of struggling with sensory processing and transitions to new locations. This episode is all about WHY your child might struggle at the dentist - from a sensory perspective of course! Then we dive into a variety of tips, t...

Brittini Barnes is a pediatric occupational therapist who has been working in the pediatric setting for 6 years. She currently works with middle school and high school students. She also serves on a local Autism Awareness Non-Profit in her small Florida town. She is a wife and a mother to a 4 year old daughter. She loves coming up with low prep/no prep activities that are simple, easy, and impactf...

This episode is all about your brain - how your brain learns new things and how you can help improve your child’s success when learning new skills or cognitive tasks. We also dive into how the brain and body work together and we give you our top 10 sensory strategies that you can use to help your child get ready to learn! Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube!!!! Be sure to check out the sh...

Mickey Richards is a homeschool mama of four boys. Previously, she was a music teacher and now she coaches anxious homeschool mamas with resistant kids and helps them fall back in love with their homeschool. Mickey is a lifelong learner in the school of hard knocks who has discovered the joy of homeschooling amidst the rollercoaster of raising four boys. Her oldest son is autistic and each of her...

This episode is all about visual motor - how you coordinate your vision to your movement. We dive into the different daily tasks that require visual motor skills, what it looks like if your child is struggling with visual motor integration, and of course we give you our favorite visual motor activities to try today! Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube!!!! Be sure to check out the show not...

Kristin Palen, OTR/L is an occupational therapist with over 19 years of experience solely in pediatrics. Kristin is the owner of Coastal Connections Pediatric Therapy, in the Outer Banks North Carolina. Her practice provides direct nature based occupational therapy services, early intervention services, virtual parent coaching, nature based resources and masterclasses coming soon. Kristin is a pro...

There are several subtypes of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and in today’s episode we dive into Sensory Based Motor Disorder. We talk about dyspraxia and postural disorder - what they look like and what you can do to help promote the skills involved! Be sure to check out the links below! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis podcast...

From a pediatric occupational therapy perspective, crawling is a very important milestone for MOST children. This is today’s topic and we encourage you to think outside the box, dive into the research, and remember that everyone’s experience is unique. Make sure you check out all the links below! Be sure to check out the show notes on our blog at Harkla. Co/Podcast. Brought To You By HarklaThis po...

Amirra is the founder of Marvelous Mirracles and creator of The Mirracle Money Blueprint, an all-in-one comprehensive program designed to kickstart your financial game plan, help you stress less + make more money, and develop strong money management skills in 90 days so that you can start building wealth from your very first paycheck...even if you’re a new grad with no side hustle. Amirra knows wh...